NEW DELHI — A group of lawmakers led by Raghav Chadha has crossed over from the Aam Aadmi Party to the Bharatiya Janata Party, in a move that has drawn attention for its use of India’s existing anti-defection provisions.

Chadha, along with six other Rajya Sabha members, was part of a larger bloc of seven out of 10 AAP lawmakers in the upper house who defected, meeting the two-thirds threshold required under India’s anti-defection law to avoid disqualification.

The group includes Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Vikramjit Singh Sahney and Rajinder Gupta.

The merger was formally recognized Monday by Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan, who ruled the move valid under the current legal framework.

The development has sparked debate in political circles, given Chadha’s previous stance on strengthening anti-defection rules. In 2022, he introduced a private member’s bill in Parliament proposing stricter provisions under the Tenth Schedule of India’s Constitution.

His proposal called for raising the threshold for a valid party merger from two-thirds to three-quarters of legislators and suggested a six-year ban on contesting elections for those who defect.

Critics say the latest move highlights a contradiction between Chadha’s earlier reform efforts and his current actions, while supporters argue the lawmakers have acted within the bounds of the law as it stands.

The defections significantly weaken AAP’s presence in the Rajya Sabha and bolster the BJP’s numbers in the chamber.

No formal statement has yet been issued by Chadha explaining the shift, and reactions from AAP leadership are expected in the coming days.